1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a connector.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, as shown in FIGS. 19 to 22, there has been known a low-profile connector 1100 which comprises a connector main member 1200, an actuator 1300, and an electrode film 1400 (see Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2011-210484 (paragraphs 0004, 0012 to 0021, FIGS. 1, 6 to 8, etc.). The connector 1100 is mounted on a circuit board, not shown.
The connector main member 1200 has, as shown in FIGS. 19 and 20, a base portion 1210 which is substantially in the form of a flat plate, two side wall portions 1220, a plurality of connection portions 1240, and a plurality of spring portions 1250. The connector main member 1200 is made of metal, and the base portion 1210, the side wall portions 1220, the connection portions 1240, and the spring portions 1250 are integrally formed. The two side wall portions 1220 are located at opposite ends of the base portion 1210 in an X direction (see FIG. 19). The spring portions 1250 each extend from the respective connection portions 1240 in a Y direction. The spring portions 1250 and the base portion 1210 are opposed to each other in a Z direction with a gap therebetween (see FIG. 20). Each spring portion 1250 has a first spring portion 1251, a second spring portion 1254, a linking portion 1253, a first protrusion 1252, a second protrusion 1255, and an operation-receiving portion 1256. The first protrusion 1252 and the second protrusion 1255 each protrude toward the base portion 1210.
The actuator 1300 is a plate-like member, and as shown in FIG. 19, includes pivot shafts 1320 and cam portions 1330. The pivot shafts 1320 are located at opposite ends of the actuator 1300 in the X direction, and are rotatably supported by associated bearing portions 1230 formed in the side wall portions 1220 of the connector main member 1200. The cam portions 1330 has holes formed through the actuator 1300, and are configured such that when the actuator 1300 is rotated about the pivot shafts 1320 from a closed position (see FIG. 20) to an open position (see FIG. 21), the cam portions 1330 push up the operation-receiving portions 1256 of the spring portions 1250, respectively.
The electrode film 1400 comprises an insulator film 1410 and an electrode pattern 1420 formed on one surface of the insulator film 1410 (see FIG. 19). The other surface of the insulator film 1410 (surface on which the electrode pattern 1420 is not formed) is fixed to the connector main member 1200. The electrode film 1400 extends, as shown in FIG. 20, from a surface of each spring portion 1250 opposed to the base portion 1210, via an inner surface of the connection portion 1240, a surface of the base portion 1210 opposed to the spring portion 1250, and the other end 1212 of the base portion 1210, to a back surface of the base portion 1210 (surface on an opposite side of the surface opposed to the spring portion 1250). The electrode film 1400 is substantially S-shaped when the connector 1100 is viewed from the X direction.
When the actuator 1300 is rotated from the closed position (see FIG. 20) to the open position (see FIG. 21), the operation-receiving portion 1256 enters the cam portion 1330, and the operation-receiving portion 1256 is pushed up by an inner peripheral surface of the cam portion 1330, whereby the whole spring portion 1250 is moved away from the base portion 1210. As a result, the gap between the first protrusion 1252 and the second protrusion 1255, and the base portion 1210 is made wider than the thickness of a plate-shaped object to be connected 1500, which makes it possible to insert the object to be connected 1500 easily between the spring portions 1250 and the base portion 1210.
After inserting the object to be connected 1500 between the spring portions 1250 and the base portion 1210, when the actuator 1300 is rotated from the open position to the closed position, each operation-receiving portion 1256 is disengaged from the associated cam portion 1330 (see FIG. 22), whereby the whole spring portion 1250 comes closer to the base portion 1210 so that the first protrusion 1252 and the second protrusion 1255 are urged against the object to be connected 1500 via the electrode film 1400. As a result, the electrode pattern 1420 of the electrode film 1400 is urged against electrodes (not shown) of the object to be connected 1500 to electrically connect between the object to be connected 1500 and a circuit board, not shown, (circuit board on which the connector 1100 is mounted).
In the low-profile connector 1100 described above, the electrode film 1400 fixed to the connector main member 1200 extends, as described above, from the surface of each spring portion 1250 opposed to the base portion 1210, via the inner surface of the connection portion 1240, the surface of the base portion 1210 opposed to the spring portion 1250, and the other end 1212 of the base portion 1210, to the back surface of the base portion 1210, and the electrode film 1400 sharply folds back around the other end 1212 of the base portion 1210 (see FIG. 20). Therefore, there is a problem that the electrode pattern 1420 of the electrode film 1400 is prone to damage.
Further, the connector 1100 includes, as components thereof, not only the connector main member 1200 and the electrode film 1400 fixed thereto, but also the actuator 1300 as a separate component from the connector main member 1200, and this is a factor increasing the manufacturing costs of the connector.